How to Water Mums Plants

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Mums (Chrysanthemums) are desirable for their brightly colored flowers and tolerance of cold temperatures. These late summer and early fall blooming perennials provide nonstop color until the first hard frost of the season. Hardy and showy, they are often grown in containers and come in all colors except blue. Although mums are relatively easy to care for, they do require large amounts of water to produce a profusion of blooms.

1

Test the soil by touching it with your finger. If it is moist, you do not need to water. If it feels dry to the touch, it is time to water.

2

Slowly add water to the soil around the mum with a watering can, hose or sprinkler. Morning is the best time to water, as this will allow the leaves to dry in the sun. Water left to sit on the leaves can encourage fungal growth. For this reason, water as close to ground level as possible.

3

Continue to add water until the soil is wet to a depth of between 6 and 8 inches. If you are watering a mum that is growing in a container, continue to water until the water flows freely from the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot.

4

Water frequently enough so that the soil is continually moist, but not overly soggy. If the water does not soak into the ground, the soil is too wet.

Things You Will Need

Water and watering tool

Tip

Applying 2 to 3 inches of mulch around your mums will help keep the soil moist and stifle weed growth.